Offering Gifts

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Matthew 5:23, 24 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (NIV)

Years ago, our church put on a production of the musical “Godspell.” It’s an exciting Broadway show and it tells the story of Jesus through some wonderful songs and very clever skits. It’s largely based upon passages from the Gospel of Matthew and to this day, when I read some of Matthew’s verses, it takes me back to that production.

In my mind’s eye, I can see how we performed today’s verses in the show. We used comical gestures and facial expressions to convey our disapproval of the actor who was trying to present an altar gift, after having an altercation with one of the cast members. It was choreographed and the timing had to be exact in order to get the message across. It worked perfectly each night and we all enjoyed the funny side of the story.

But the real Gospel message isn’t funny. Jesus is being serious here. He wants people to understand that God cares for everyone and that when we have a conflict, disagreement or dispute with family, friends, or other church members, He wants us to sort those things out before we come to church with our gifts, our prayers, and our praises.

It’s a hard thing to do and something that we often set aside. When we go to church, we want God to be on our side, instead of us being on His side. We want Him to address our complaints, instead of having God question our motives. In other words, we don’t want to believe that God won’t accept prayers that are tainted with bitterness or praises that are insincere. However, if we say that we accept the Gospel of Jesus, then we have to live according to His standards and not our own.

So, I guess the challenge for myself and for all of us who are reading or hearing this devotional is this: is there a conflict going on in my life that I need to resolve? Is there something happening now that is causing a division in my home, my heart, my work, my school, or my church that needs to be healed? If there is, then I need to sort it before I come to God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, following You is never easy and accepting Your Gospel is always going to interfere with our lives. You challenge us to reconsider our ways and to review our deeds. You call upon us to heal our divisions and to restore our broken relationships. Grant us the courage to do something about this today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Ways to Worship

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Jeremiah 4:7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. (NIV)

I visited a worship website this morning (www.worshipideas.com) where there’s a discussion going on about the proper use and place for praise music in Sunday worship services. This type of discussion has been going on for decades and will probably never be resolved until Christ returns. Then we’ll all get to sing His favorite music, for Jesus will be the One doing the choosing.

One of the bloggers bewailed the use of traditional music in services and stated that his choice of music was more meaningful because it brought a distant, transcendent God into the hearts of immanent people. This annoyed me, because all worship music is supposed to do the exact opposite: it’s used to bring our hearts and spirits closer to God.

At our worship services in our church, we sing and play different types of hymns and music. One of the most important parts of our worship occurs when our organist plays the prelude. It’s supposed to be a time when we sit quietly as we enter into God’s presence. At that precious moment in time, I personally feel connected to God and seek to please Him with my prayers, preaching, and praises.

When Jeremiah was given the vision of the figs, his people were undergoing a terrible time. Their nation had been annihilated by their foes, and most of the people were taken hundreds of miles away, to become captive slaves. There was not a lot of hope in their hearts and they felt as though God was punishing them for not being faithful. But God gave Jeremiah His word that there would be a precious time when the hearts of the people would be filled with God’s love and that they would return to Him.

Worship can do that for anyone of us. We are called by God to come to church, to be restored to His favor, and to be refreshed by His Spirit. And whenever we sing hymns or play music, we are drawn closer to God’s holy and sacred presence – the place of peace, hope, and renewal.

Prayer: Lord God, music has always been a part of worship. It is a great gift and wonderful way of bringing us closer to You. Whatever we sing or however we play it, may our hearts be filled with love and adoration, reverence and exaltation of You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.